Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-21
Il AM A MAN OF ACTION"
| GEN. STONEWALL JACKsCN'S
HISTORIC REMARK.

which Was Construed to M can That
He Was In Favor of "Ths Black Flag
--InterestinR "Reminiscences of the
Great General.
The MORNING NEWS has recently pub
lished two letters from Gen. Francis Fl.
Smith giving extremely interesting remi-
niscences OF Gen. Stonewall Jackson.
The letters were addressed to Col. Cliff
ford W. Anderson, from whom they were
obtained by the NEWS. This morning 1t
gives another equally as interesting as
either OF the others, and perhaps more so,
because 1t contains the exact remarks OF
Jackson which were construed to mean
that he was in favor Of "the black flag"
AS stated heretofore, Gen. Smith was
for years before the war, as he
is yet, the Superintendent Of the Viz
ginia Military Institute at Lexington.
The General remarks that he writes
"currente calamo," saying: "You will
understand from your knowledge OF the
daily and hourly pressure on me in my
routine work that | have to write in my
office amidst constant Interruptions.
Perhaps on this very account there is less
studied form in what l write.
AN hISIOHIC kIMAkh.
al want to give You to-day one other
reminiscence Of Jackson, the most inter-
| esting because of the historic remark
made by him at the time which has some
times been improperly quoted and the
| connection misunderstood. The excite
ment ct The Virginia Military Institute
| in the month of April 1861,
was intense. The county of Rock
bridge was Overwhelmingly Union,
having chosen Union delegates
by 1900 majority. The cadets were TO q
man secessionists. Perhaps their mill
tary training helped to make them so.
| Our professors were for the most part
! Union men. Jackson was decidedly
So"
The writer tells of the arrangements
| made to erect q Union pole about that
time at the Lexington court house, and
adds: "The next morning while at work
in my office | was waited upon by twelve
or fifteen of the citizens of LexinGt ton,
who complained to me that the cadets
had on tue previous night stolen their
| Union pole. That is impOssibie,' l re-
| piled. I'VE have a guard here.' They
said they had tracked it on the road.
asked them to cit down, and
| Immediately went to the barracks
and had the signal sounded for the cadets
| to meet me In my public hall. AS they
dSs6Iu UiGu L never saw IL more ulbCulEN~
| Gus looking crowd. Deviltry, the devil
try OF boys, seemed to be looking out from
every eye. As soon as seated | said,
Wen, young gentlemen, what about this
polep Not word was uttered. l again
asked the question with little more en-
phasis.
ONLY UNION POLE.
Some one murmured 1T was only a
Union polep Union pole or secession
pole, it's all wrong. You know l would
not allow your pole to be disturbed by
any one,' l replied. They received my
remark with a storm of applause.
AS soon as it subsided l said,
go and get that pole and
take it back A grandson of Light
Horse Harry Lee, and nephew of Gen.
r. E. Lee, replied: It's cut up, SIR
was non plussed for the moment. At last
! said, send committee to the gentle
men in my office, and make an apology
to them, and tell them to get another pole
at your expense This suggestion was
promptly accepted and acted upon, and
when l returned TO my office | found that
the gentlemen making the complaint were
fully satisfied. Two days passed over
with great quiet. l was an invalid, just
recovering from an attack of pneumonia,
and was sitting In my chamber about 4
p. m. ON Saturday, when heard the signal
from the drum sounding at the barracks.
AT first | thought it was for dress parade,
but soon discovered it was two hours be-
fore parade. / went to my front window
and saw the cadets. the corps numbering
$50, running down the hill with maddened
earnestness, loading their guns as they
ran, some without coats, but none with
out his musket.
TROUBLE BREWING.
81 felt sure some serious mischief was
at work. promptly ran out, and, BY
taking short cut, headed. the cadets in
front OF the residence of Gov. Letcher and
commanded halt. Looking toward the
town l saw an immense crowd of citizens
| moving down the nam road with a
company OF the Rockbridge infantry
as support. l could not mistake the
seriousness OF the trouble, although had
no idea what was the cause of il. |
| succeeded in getting the cadets into
| line, and then said to them: I'VE seem
| to be on the eve of serious conflict. |
| claim the right to command the CORPS of
cadets, and l must be Obeyed. Do you
| hearY 'All rightly was the unanimous
response. Looking toward the town and
seeing that the crowd had been stopped,
! and that they were not moving on, | COM
manded emphaticaliy Right facer This
made them face toward the institute. Two
! fell out in d;sobedience Of the order
promptly seized them and pushed them
back INTO the ranks. One was the same
cadet, Lee.
81 then gave the command, Forward.
smarch!" and marched them toward the
Institute. AS we assembled the hill the
cadets fired of their muskets.
MARCHED TO HEADQUARTERS.
81 marched them all into the same pub
lie hall in which had assem- bled them
few mornings before / said to them had
no idea what the cause Of the trouble was.
only knew that the peril was immlnent,
and was glad that was able TO stay it
even for the time. We could not afford
to be taking each others blood while
civil war was impending, and | urged
upon them to MAINTAIN order, assuring
them that if they had been wronged
would stand by them. While l was thus
speaking Stonewall jackson entered and
look his seat by me. AS | closed the ca.
diets cried out: Jacksonp 'JacksOnp
'Old Jackp Jackson shook his head,
and seemed disInclined to say anything.
At last l said to him: Major. | have
driven in the nail, but it needs clinching.
Say few words While the cadets
were still loudly calling out odd
Jackp odd JAckp he slowly arose and
said:
81 am no speaker. am a man OF ac-
ton. MY principle is, when civil war be-
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